City of Mobile, Alabama, et al. v. Bolden et al.

Decided April 22, 1980. Potter Stewart delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 77-1844 · 446 U.S. 55 (1980) · Cited 783 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• White v. Regester · 412 U.S. 755 (1973)
• Washington v. Davis · 426 U.S. 229 (1976)
• Whitcomb v. Chavis · 403 U.S. 124 (1971)
• Reynolds v. Sims · 377 U.S. 533 (1964)
• Gomillion v. Lightfoot · 364 U.S. 339 (1960)
• WRIGHT Et Al. v. ROCKEFELLER, GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK, Et Al. · 376 U.S. 52 (1964)
• Fortson v. Dorsey · 379 U.S. 433 (1965)
• Village of Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Development Corp. · 429 U.S. 252 (1977)
• Personnel Administrator of Mass. v. Feeney · 442 U.S. 256 (1979)
• Burns v. Richardson · 384 U.S. 73 (1966)
• Dunn v. Blumstein · 405 U.S. 330 (1972)
• Terry v. Adams · 345 U.S. 461 (1953)
• United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburgh, Inc. v. Carey · 430 U.S. 144 (1977)
• Beer v. United States · 425 U.S. 130 (1976)
• San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez · 411 U.S. 1 (1973)
• United States v. O'Brien · 391 U.S. 367 (1968)
• Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections · 383 U.S. 663 (1966)
• Smith v. Allwright · 321 U.S. 649 (1944)
• Gaffney v. Cummings · 412 U.S. 735 (1973)
• Lane v. Wilson · 307 U.S. 268 (1939)
• Abate v. Mundt · 403 U.S. 182 (1971)
• Baker v. Carr · 369 U.S. 186 (1962)
• Shapiro v. Thompson · 394 U.S. 618 (1969)
• Palmer v. Thompson · 403 U.S. 217 (1971)
• Lassiter v. Northampton County Board of Elections · 360 U.S. 45 (1959)
• Guinn v. United States · 238 U.S. 347 (1915)
• Castaneda v. Partida · 430 U.S. 482 (1977)
• Gray v. Sanders · 372 U.S. 368 (1963)
• Keyes v. School Dist. No. 1, Denver · 413 U.S. 189 (1973)
• Akins v. Texas · 325 U.S. 398 (1945)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Holder v. Hall · 512 U.S. 874 (1994)
• Rogers v. Lodge · 458 U.S. 613 (1982)
• Chisom v. Roemer · 501 U.S. 380 (1991)
• Davis v. Bandemer · 478 U.S. 109 (1986)
• Thornburg v. Gingles · 478 U.S. 30 (1986)
• Reno v. Bossier Parish School Board · 520 U.S. 471 (1997)
• Reno v. Bossier Parish School Board · 528 U.S. 320 (2000)
• Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee · 594 U.S. 647 (2021)
• Rucho v. Common Cause · 588 U.S. 684 (2019)
• Shaw v. Reno · 509 U.S. 630 (1993)
• Vieth v. Jubelirer · 541 U.S. 267 (2004)
• Voinovich v. Quilter · 507 U.S. 146 (1993)
• Karcher v. Daggett · 462 U.S. 725 (1983)
• Bartlett v. Strickland · 556 U.S. 1 (2009)
• Allen v. Milligan · 599 U.S. 1 (2023)
• Bush v. Vera · 517 U.S. 952 (1996)
• Abbott v. Perez · 585 U.S. 579 (2018)
• Marsh v. Chambers · 463 U.S. 783 (1983)
• Miller v. Johnson · 515 U.S. 900 (1995)
• Washington v. Seattle School District No. 1 · 458 U.S. 457 (1982)
• Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District Number One v. Holder · 557 U.S. 193 (2009)
• Morse v. Republican Party of Virginia · 517 U.S. 186 (1996)
• Patterson v. McLean Credit Union · 491 U.S. 164 (1989)
• Board of Trustees of Univ. of Ala. v. Garrett · 531 U.S. 356 (2001)
• Harris v. McRae · 448 U.S. 297 (1980)
• City of Richmond v. J. A. Croson Co. · 488 U.S. 469 (1989)
• United States v. Hays · 515 U.S. 737 (1995)
• Timmons v. Twin Cities Area New Party · 520 U.S. 351 (1997)
• Jean v. Nelson · 472 U.S. 846 (1985)
• Holland v. Illinois · 493 U.S. 474 (1990)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).